Improvement in washing-machines



T.A STUMM. Washing-Machines.

- Ptented M ay 5. 1874.

lill Ill immun:

TTRNEYS.

THOMAS STUMM, OF ADA, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT/IN WASHihKEvNIACi-IlhlES.'v j

Speciti :at-ion forming part of Leiters Patent No.

150,494, dated May 5, i874; application tiled January 1o, 1574.

.To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, THoMAs-STUMM, of Ada, inthe county of Hardin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Clothes Washing and Pressing Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification:

Figure 1 is a detail vertical longitudinal section of my improvedmachine, taken through the irregular line .fr fr, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is adetail vertical cross-section of the same, taken through the irregularline y y, Fi l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in theclaims.

A is the suds-box, which is made rectangular in form, and with aslightly-concaved bottom, c. In the bottom c is formed a transverseslot, leading into a small chamber, B, at-

tached to the under side of said bottom a', and

which is made deeper at one end'than at the other. VIn the bottom of thedeeper end of the chamber B is inserted a short discharge-tube, b',which is closed with -a plug, C. The plug Gis made long, so that it canbe readily removed and inserted, even when there may be much water inthe box A. When the machine is in use, the dirt settles into the chamberB, and may be drawn oft', when desired, without allowing all the waterto flow from the said Y box A. To the middle part of the sides of thebox A are attached the upright bars D, the upper ends of which areconnected by a crossbar, E. F are the legs, which are attached to thesides of the box A, and the upper ends of which are secured to theopposite sides of the upper parts of the uprights D. The lower ends ofthe legs F project so far below the box A as to raise the machine to aconvenientheight, and arestrengthened by a frame or cross-bars; Theupper partsof the uprights D are slotted longitudinally to receive theshaft H, upon whichv the semicircular frame I is hung. To the shaft Hare attached the lower ends of two straps, J, the upper ends of whichare attached to the cross-bar E. To one end of the shaft H is attached acrank-wheel, K, and a ratchet-wheel, L. M is a lever-pawl, the engagingend of which takes hold of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel L, and whichis pivoted to a cross-bar, N, which 'rides upon the shaft H, and is keptfrom turning by a lug attached to it, and which enters the slot of theupright D. The shaft II also passes through the upper ends of theuprights O, which slide up and down in vertical grooves formed in theinner sides of the side boards of the suds-box A. To the lower parts ofthe upright bars O are attached the ends of the dash er-board I, againstwhich the clothes -arepressed, and which has numerous holes formedthrough it to allow the suds to readily escape from the clothes. `To theend vparts of the forward side of the dash erboard B are attached theguard-boards Q,which proj ect into the space between the straight andcurved bars of the semicircular pivoted frame I. rBhe guard-boards Q areperforated, to allow the suds to escape freely, and are designed toprevent the clothes from bulging out laterally when put under pressure.It is the presser-board, which is perforated, toy allow the suds to passthrough it freely, and its ends are attached to the bars S, the lowerends of which are pivoted to the curved bars of the semicircular frame Iby a rod, s. The upper parts of the bars S are slotted longitudinally,to receive the rod T, the ends of which are connected with the lowerends of the side bars of the .rubbin g-board U, which slides in inclinedgrooves formed in the inner surfaces of the boards V, attached to thebars of the semicircular frame I. The rubbing-board U rests and slidesupon a board, W, secured in an inclined position to the frame I, and issecured in place, when adjusted, by a pin, X, which passes through ahole in the said rubbingboard U, and through one or the other of theholes formed in the inclined board W.

By this construction, by sliding the rubbingboard U up or down, thepresser-board It will be adjusted to leave more or less space between itand the flasher-board P, as the quantity of clothes to be washed mayrequire.

'lo the curved bars of the semicircularframe I is attached a curvedperforated board,Y,-upon which the clothes rest while being operatedupon, and which slides back and forth beneath the said clothes as theframe I is oscillated upon 'its shaft H. The forward ends of thestraight bars of the semicircular frame I project and are connected by around, which serves as a handle in operating the machine. To the rearend of the frame I is attached a box, Z, to receive weights to balancethe presser and rubber boards, and thus enable the said frame and itsattachments to be oseillated easily. To the middle part of thedasher-board P is attached the lower end of an upright bar, A', throughwhich the shaft H passes, and the upper part ot' which is slottedlongitudinally to receive the 'crossbar E, so that it may slide up anddown freely. To the upper end of the bar A is pivoted a 11001;,33,which, when the semicircular frame l and its attachments have beenlowered into the suds-box A, may be hooked into a hole in the cross-barE, to prevent the said frame and its attachments from rising out of thesuds while being used. C. is aba-il or U-shaped lever, the arms of whichpass down through the spaces between the frame I and the sides of thesuds-box A, along the forward sides of the upright bars O. The lowerends of the arms of the bail G are bent to the rearward, pass throughslots in the lower ends of said uprights O, and are pivoted near theirends to the said nprights. To the ends of the arms of the bail C' arepivoted the rear ends of the notched bars DI, which are curved upon thearc ofthe curved bars of the frame I, and are supported by a lip uponthe ends of the arms of the bail C', in such aposition as to just clearthe projecting ends of the rod s', that pivots the presser-board R S tothe frame I, when bailC/rests againstthe uprightbarA/,wherethe it issecured in place by a hook, E. The upper edge of the forward end boardof the sudsbox Ais notched to receive the projecting forward ends of thestraight bars of the frame I, and has sliding bolts F attached to theshoulders thus formed, so that they may be shot over said bars to holdthe said frame stationary while using the rubbing-board U.

In using the machine, the frame I and its attachments are lowered intothe suds-box,

and the clothes are placed in the space lie-- tween the presser-board Itand the dasherboard P, and the frame I is oscillated, alter natelypressing the suds from the clothes and allowing them to be againsaturated.

When the clothes have been sufficiently washed, the frame I and itsattachments are raised out of the suds by revolving the shaft H, and thewater is pressed out of them by operating the frame I. The hook E isthen raised, releasing the bail C', and the said bail is moved downward.This brings the notched bars D in contact with the projecting ends ofthe rod s', and furnishes a powerful leverage for pressing the water outof the clothes, and enables it to be done so thoroughly that saidclothes may be hung upon the line directly from the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The combination, with the shaft H, bar E, and strapJ, of the frame I, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with perforated board P, of the sliding uprights Oand shaft H, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Thecoinbination of perforated board I, perforated guards Q, andpivoted frame I, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the presser'board R and rubber U, of the frameI, connected therewith by bars S and rods I, as and for thepurposedescribed.

5. The combination ofthe bail C' and notched arms D with the pivotedframe I, presserboard R, and dasher-board P, substantially as hereinshown and described.

f THOMAS STUMM.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL WATT, J r., H. S. SHANNON.

